Semester 1 English Review

Hey everyone, guess what time it is. Exam time. And for extra credit, I can type my review for English class on this blog right here! So here are the definitions of some of the words on my review

Alliteration – alliteration is the repetition of a sound at the beginning of each word in a sentence. Example: Peter Pined for the Pringles his Parents had Purged.

Appositive – An appositive is when two noun phrases are placed side by side.  Example: Josh’s sister Payton helped him clean the house.

Author’s Purpose – Author’s purpose is why the author wants to write a story.  Example: An author’s purpose can be to inform, persuade or entertain.

Characterization – Characterization is creating a character and telling things about them.  Example: The patient boy and quiet girl were both well-mannered.

Diction – A writer’s vocabulary, use of language, and style of writing. Example: When Jim speaks in Huckleberry Finn, he speaks as an uneducated African American at that time would speak.

Imagery – Paragraphs, words, or phrases that describe how something appears. Example: The small dungeon was dark and dank.

Metaphor – A comparison of things without using like or as.  Example:  His homework was torture.

Noun – a person, place, or thing.  Example:  Josh

Personification – giving inanimate objects human characteristics.  Example: The wind whispered.

Plot – the storyline of events in a novel, short story, or an epic poem.  Example: Guy meets girl.  Guy plans to run away with girl.  Guy and girl die in end.

Summarize- to give a short explanation of something. Example: See Above.

Supporting Details – Details that support the plot or imagery.  Example: Details about a character’s past could support his motives in the storyline.

Symbolism- Something that represents something else.  Example: A dove representing peace.

Synonym – A word with the same meaning as another word.  Example: Scarlet and crimson both mean red.

Theme – The central idea, purpose, or message of a piece of literature.  Example: Love conquers all.  (Harry Potter)

Tone – The writer or speaker’s attitude toward the subject.  Example:  If the author or narrator were to give a character details or imagery that put him in a bad light, he would have a negative tone toward that character.

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Character Traits

Hello everyone. It’s me, Josh.

There are different kinds if character traits. Not all of them are good. Some of them, like narcissism and being know-it-all, are horrible and generally undesired. Others, like generosity and kindness, are great and should be excersed by everyone.

AOW- Time Management NINJA!

Hey everyone! It’s me, Josh. I found another great article for my blog.

So this one’s called the Time Management Ninja (yes, ninja) It’s a six step plan to recover from the long weekend. These six steps help you get back into work mode after Christmas and New Years. The steps are pretty simple and easy, so I’ll walk you through them.

The first step is to clean your work space. A clean workspace allows for more thinking room. The second is to empty your inbox. It’s best to read all unreads before you work. The third step is to review your to do list. You need to remind yourself of the work you have to do for the day.

The forth step is to review your calender. It’s best to review for a month in advance so you can be prepared for your tasks. The fifth step is to block your time. That means make schedules for appointments and tasks ahead of time. The final step is to get ahead of the game. If you can get ahead at the start you will have a large lead to the rest of your workers/peers.

That’s all for today. Until next time, Seacow out.

AOW: Destructive Myths

Hey guys, its been a while! I’ve got a new article of the week for y’all.

So in the business world, there are some policies that help your business, and then there are some that hurt it. The top four hurts are actually conceived as helpful in the world of business.

The first myth is multitasking. Multitasking is actually a false term. You cant do two tasks at once, but you have to switch from task to task. Switching tasks can be a huge stress on your brain, causing you to be less efficient in you workplace. When doing one task, we aren’t even aware of the others.

The second myth is that anxiety causes you to work better. In truth, however, it only inhibits your work level. Anxiety is a source of energy, sure, but it comes at huge costs. It causes you to think less imaginatively and give into impulse a lot more. The more positive your energy, the better you function.

The next myth is that creativity is inherited. I want to stamp that one with a big old WRONG stamp. You can teach people to be creative. Creativity doesn’t use just one side of the brain. Rather, it switches back and forth between hemispheres, using the one that best fits the situation. Creativity is about using the brain flexibly, and can be taught.

Finally, the last and most destructive myth. The long work hours myth. Humans can not function like computers; continuously, at high speeds, and for long periods of time. Instead, we are supposed to take breaks and rest during tasks. Long hours can put a strain on us, making us tired and irritable.

Well, that’s all for this week. until next time, Seacow out.

New Years

Happy new year, Internet!

So I’ve got to do a post on what I think about new years resolutions. Well to tell you the truth, I don’t have any particular thoughts about resolutions. I really think that they have no long term value unless you are dedicated. If you aren’t dedicated, you won’t make it.

To most people, new years resolutions have no value at all. They are not dedicated to keeping th resolutions. They fall off of the wagon after six months at most. They aren’t motivated to keep going in the resolutions.

For a very few people, resolutions are great because they are committed to it. They have the motivation to go on. They don’t fall off the wagon. They keep it up until the end, wether it be losing weight or being more positive.

STAAR Test SMART Goals

On the benchmark next week, I plane to make a 98%.

In order to make this grade will be careful in choosing my answers.

Reading Goal

Last year I read…

This year I have read…

My reading goal is…

What is a Hero essay

What is a hero? A hero could be many things. It could be. A guy in tights who comes down to save the day. It could be an ordinary man like a firefighter who saves lives with out superpowers. What is a hero to me? To me, a hero is someone who goes out of their way to help someone in need.

A hero will always go out of their way to help someone in need. A hero, such as a fireman, will go into a burning building to save a person trapped inside. A hero will barge into a bank to save hostages. A hero will charge into the middle of a battle to save his comrades, no matter if it costs him his life. A hero will always save someone in need.

A hero will not save someone for their own personal gain. They will not save someone if only for money. That would make them a hired thug. If a person saves someone only for the fame, they are only a vain and selfish being. If a person saves someone else only for personal satisfaction, they are only self-pleasing.

In all, A hero is someone who helps one an other not for their own needs, but for the needs of others. They help any and all that they see in need to the best of their ability. That is what a hero is.

AOW: iPad Shortcuts

Hey everyone, I’m back! It’s been awhile since I did any posting, but Ive got another article of the week for you guys!

So as you all know by now, the Apple iDevices (iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad)  have a virtual keyboard built into the hard drive so that you can surf the web, type notes, and text with. And while there are some shortcuts like autocorrect that are somewhat well known to help you, there are some keyboard shortcuts that can help as well. First, there are some letter shortcuts, such as with a, e, n, and o, that if you press and hold them, related accented letters will appear for you to freely use. Some other keying shortcuts are the currency shortcut, which is accessed by holding down the $ key, and lets you choose from keys such as the euro and the pound. For web surfing, there is the special .com button. If you hold it, then the other TDLs will apear, such as .net, .org, and .gov.

All of these shortcuts are pretty cool. When I found the article, I was surprised at some of these shortcuts, like the .com and the currency ones. If you know about these shortcuts, it it sort of helps make up for the autocorrect frustration. What I would like to see, though, is a shortcut for emoticons, or “smileys” on the iDevices. It would definitely help with non-flash chatrooms (Apple iDevices do not support flash player)

Well, that’s all the time I have for today. Thanks for reading! Stay paranoid. Seacow, out.

re: AOW Healthy Gratitude

Hey everyone it’s me again, Josh. I found an article today that is pretty interesting. It is about how gratitude can make us healthier. As it turns out, expressing gratitude and keeping a healthy demeanor is actually neurologically helpful to our lives. It improves on how we react to the day and how we think about life.

There have been several studies that have taken place to study these benefits. Dr. Robert Emmons, PhD, conducted the research by assigning fifteen people into three groups. The first group had to keep a journal of all of the things that they were thankful for. The second group had to keep a journal about all of the hassles in life. The third group had to write about everything that affected their lives, but not to focus on the positive or negative. After about a week, the groups were interviewed on their journals. As it turns out, the people who wrote about the things in life that they are grateful for were healthier in the end than the ones who had the neutral and the negative point of view.

All in all, it is proven that gratitude can indeed make you healthier. That’s all I have for now on this subject. Until next time!